Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 3:3 teaches that "A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die; a time to tear down and a time to build...” As we work to build a just, livable future for all, the wisdom of Torah can help us move through fear to courageous action.
Text #1: Kohelet 11:4
Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) is a book of the Tanakh (Hebrew bible) written between 450-180 BCE. Kohelet explores topics such as inequality, injustice, and futility.
(ד) שֹׁמֵ֥ר ר֖וּחַ לֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ע וְרֹאֶ֥ה בֶעָבִ֖ים לֹ֥א יִקְצֽוֹר׃
If one watches the wind (ruach), he will never sow; and if one observes the clouds (avim), he will never reap.
Ruach [ר.ו.ח]- wind, spirit, soul, breath, spacious, relief, courage
Avim [ע.ב]- dark clouds, cloud-masses
Questions
- Why would watching the wind or observing the clouds lead one not to plant or harvest?
- In what ways do we “plant” and “harvest” in the context of justice work today?
- What are we “planting”? What are we “harvesting”?
Text #2: Rashi on Kohelet 11:4
Rashi (1040-1105 CE) was a medieval French rabbi who lived at the beginning of the First Crusade. He is known for his concise, extensive commentary on the Jewish canon.
וְרֹאֶה בֶעָבִים. נוֹתֵן עֵינָיו בֶּעָבִים, וּכְשֶׁרוֹאֶה אוֹתָם קוֹדְרִים, יָרֵא לִקְצוֹר מִפְּנֵי הַגְּשָׁמִים, לְעוֹלָם לֹא יִקְצוֹר, לְפִי שֶׁיָּרֵא תָמִיד:
“One observes the clouds"[Meaning] he casts his eyes to the clouds, and when he sees them darkening, he is afraid to harvest because of the rains; he will never harvest because he is always fearful.
Questions:
- How might our fears affect our ability to move into action?
- How do you know when it’s time to take a risk, be bold, or take action?
Text #3: Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Likutei Moharan Part II 48:2.7
Rebbe Nachman (1772–1810) lived in Eastern Europe. His teachings draw on Jewish mysticism, nature, and folktales to offer lessons about spirituality and the world.
(ז) וְדַע, שֶׁהָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לַעֲבֹר עַל גֶּשֶׁר צַר מְאֹד מְאֹד, וְהַכְּלָל וְהָעִקָּר – שֶׁלֹּא יִתְפַּחֵד כְּלָל:
A person must cross a very, very narrow bridge, and the most important thing is to not make yourself entirely (klal) afraid.
Klal - meaning: 1) at all; 2) entirely, completely; 3) as a basic rule
Question:
- Living in a climate-changing world can feel like crossing a narrow bridge. Which definition of “klal” best reflects your lived experiences?
Text #4: Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities
Rebecca Solnit, 2004. Solnit is a contemporary writer, activist, and co-creator of nottoolateclimate.com.
Solnit
All that [movement-building] transformations have in common is that they begin in the imagination, in hope. To hope is to gamble. It’s to bet on the future, on your desires, on the possibility that an open heart and uncertainty is better than doom and safety. To hope is dangerous, and yet it is the opposite of fear, for to live is to risk.
Questions:
- What realities do you dare to imagine in a life-sustaining, thriving future? What will success sound, look, feel like?
- In what ways are you ready to step into actualizing that future and with whom?
For more conversation about Jewish climate wisdom, see Dayenu's Climate Torah Resources.
